Reduced sugar citrus juice beverage

ABSTRACT

Citrus juice beverage products and their method of production are formulated to reduce the sugar content of the beverage while the beverage products have sensory, taste, mouth feel and texture characteristics that mimic those of whole citrus juice. Orange juice beverage products are especially preferred. The beverage products have a relatively low Brix, on the order of between about 7 and about 8 Brix. Also included in the beverage products is a sweetener which does not add a significant caloric load to the beverage product. A sinking pulp added to the beverage product in an amount to achieve texture and other sensory characteristics of a whole juice.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to citrus juice products which have reducedcalorie amounts due primarily to having lower sugar contents whencompared with whole like citrus juices. These reduced calorie beveragesexhibit texture, mouth feel, taste and sensory characteristics that areon par with such characteristics of whole juices. More particularly, theinvention is useful in the field of orange juice beverages which emulatewhole orange juices. Citrus juice insoluble solids, or sinking solidsare incorporated into a reduced sugar citrus juice to thereby greatlyimprove its characteristics without adding substantial levels of sugar.Citrus juice products are prepared that have reduced sugar and increasedinsoluble solids.

2. Description of the Related Art

It has heretofore been proposed to prepare fruit juice containingso-called diet beverages. Included are those which incorporateartificial sweeteners and increased background pulp volumes which aresaid to reduce unpleasant aftertaste characteristics of the artificialsweeteners.

It is generally known that aroma and flavor components tend to bepresent in sinking solids or insoluble solids, often referred to assinking pulp, while other compounds tend to be found more extensively inthe liquid phase or serum portion of the juice. For example, early on itwas suggested that orange oil existed as an adsorbed layer on thesinking pulp of orange juice. Blair et al., “Exploratory Experiments ToIdentify Chemical Reactions Causing Flavor Deterioration During StorageOf Canned Orange Juice, I. Incompatibility of Peel-Oil Constituence Withthe Acid Juice”, Journal of Food Research, 17, 235 (1952). Othersobserved that oil was found primarily in the pulp of orange juice. Scottet al., “Composition of Orange Juice Cloud”, Journal of Food Science,30, 833 (1965); and Peleg et al., “Production Of Frozen Orange JuiceConcentrate From Centrifugally Separated Serum And Pulp”, Journal ofFood Science, 35, 649 (1970).

Radford et al., “Distribution Of Volatile Compounds Between The Pulp AndSerum Of Some Fruit Juices”, Journal of Agricultural Food Chemistry,Volume 22, Number 6 (1974) made several evaluations regarding volatileflavor compounds of orange juice. This article observed that 98% of thelimonene in an orange juice sample was recovered from the pulp phase,while only 2% was recovered from the serum phase. Other hydrocarbonssuch as alpha-pinene, sabinene, mycrene, and valencene were found almostexclusively in the pulp phase, whereas esters, alcohols, and aldehydeswere found almost exclusively in the serum phase.

While the art generally has noted differences in the make-up of pulp orsolids phases of orange juices on the one hand and the make-up of liquidor serum phases of orange juices on the other hand, recognition of theseoverall differences has not led to significant direct improvement ofactual orange juice products.

One challenge facing the citrus juice industry is the problem of thecaloric content of orange juices, grapefruit juices and the like. Asawareness of the nutritional benefits of consuming citrus fruits hasincreased, so has the demand for such products. Citrus is an extremelyvaluable source of nutrition, and has been recognized to aid in thetreatment and prevention of disease. Consequently, it is widely believedthat the regular consumption of citrus is a beneficial, if notessential, part of maintaining one's health. However, some individualsdo not consume more beneficial quantities of citrus juices because oftheir perception that they are high in calories and sugars.

There is accordingly a need for approaches which will allow theproduction of citrus juice beverages which retain nutritional benefitsin formulations which are reduced in calories and sugars when comparedwith whole citrus juices of the same types.

Needs such as these are successfully addressed by the present invention.An important element in achieving the objectives of the presentinvention is an appreciation that citrus juices having relatively lowBrix levels can be transformed into low calorie citrus juice beverageswithout raising the Brix levels to those of whole juices by an approachwhich nevertheless mimics the texture and sensory and taste and mouthfeel characteristics of a whole juice having traditional Brix levels.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the present invention, a citrus juice beverage isprepared by combining a citrus juice source having a low Brix value, andthus a low sugar content, with added sinking pulp (or bottom pulp) and asweetener which increases the perceived sweetness sensory characteristicof the juice beverage without significantly increasing the caloriccontent of the beverage. Such citrus juice beverage will have thesensory and texture attributes comparable to those of a whole citrusjuice having a Brix level of at least about 9° Brix when grapefruitjuice or at least about 10° Brix when orange juice. In one embodiment, acalcium component also is added which not only provides awell-recognized nutritional and health benefit but also aids indeveloping desired sensory, taste, mouth feel and texturecharacteristics that emulate such properties of whole, full-Brix citrusjuice.

A general aspect or object of the present invention is to provide animproved citrus juice beverage which has a relatively low caloriccontent while exhibiting a mouth feel and taste profile very similar to100% citrus juice, and method of its production.

Another aspect or object of the present invention is to provide animproved product and method of producing same which prepares and/orutilizes orange juice of reduced Brix and thus of reduced solublesolids, primarily sugars, and transforms same into a unique whole-juicemimicking orange juice beverage.

Another aspect or object of this invention is an improved method andproduct whereby inferior orange juice resources can be used to preparesignificantly improved orange juice beverages by combining withbeneficial citrus sinking pulp resources.

Another aspect or object of the present invention is to provide animproved method and product which involves diluting mature whole juice,full-Brix citrus sources so as to reduce their caloric content whilecombining same with citrus sinking pulp resources and non-caloric orlow-caloric sweetener sources to prepare a reduced-calorie juicebeverage having sensory, taste, texture and mouth feel properties whichexceed those of otherwise prepared reduced-calorie citrus beverages.

Another aspect or object of the present invention is to provide areduced-calorie citrus juice beverage containing calcium which exhibitsgenerally appreciated nutritional and health benefits while alsoimproving the characteristics of the juice beverage being prepared tomore closely mimic whole, full-calorie citrus juice.

Another aspect or object of this invention is an improved method andproduct by which a non-nutritive sweetener helps to increase sweetnessof a citrus beverage but which does not bring to the beverage anundesirable or unpleasant aftertaste to be otherwise addressed by thebeverage system.

Another aspect or object of the invention is an improved method andproduct which allows for the use of stored pulp byproducts to be used asa beverage enhancement component.

Another aspect or object of this invention is to incorporate tocopherolsources for enhanced juice product properties of a reduced-caloriecitrus juice beverage.

Other aspects, objects and advantages of the present invention will beunderstood from the following description according to preferredembodiments of the present invention which are understood to bedisclosed in various combinations of features as are evident fromfeatures noted herein.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Starting materials for the invention include whole citrus juice sources,citrus sinking or bottom pulp sources and a sweetener which does not addsignificant calories to the beverage. Depending upon the citrus juicesource, water or other suitable non-caloric or low-caloric diluent isincluded. Other beverage ingredients can be added, including calciumsources, nutrients and other suitable beverage additives.

With further reference to the citrus juice source and the pulp source,the present disclosure discusses primarily orange juice as the citrussource, although it will be understood that other citrus sources can besuitable depending upon the particular product being prepared. Orangejuice contains a cloud suspension that contributes to the color, flavor,aroma and turbidity of the juice. This cloud is comprised of membranes,oil droplets, flavonoid crystals, chromatophores, and cell wallfragments of protein, pectin, cellulose and hemicellulose. Thecomponents of juice cloud have varying particulate sizes that range fromapproximately 2 to 1000 microns. Particulates of larger size tend tosettle in the juice over time. This material is commonly referred to assinking pulp or bottom pulp. Smaller, colloidal particulates remainsuspended in the juice and make up what is known as stable cloud.

The citrus industry commonly describes two types of pulp in processingoperations, namely sinking pulp and floating pulp, to characterize thequantity of suspended insoluble material in juice. The floating pulp isa wet composition of pulp and juice serum. As an example, this floodingpulp can beat a concentration which has a density of on the order to 450grams per quart of floating pulp composition. Other densities arepossible. For example, a more concentrated composition could have adensity of 900 grams per quart.

The citrus industry uses a centrifugation method to measure sinking pulpas a volume of fraction of the juice. Typical sinking pulp values inorange juice range from about 5 to about 15 volume percent, typicallybetween about 8 and about 12 volume percent, based upon the total volumeof the orange juice. In many juices, the natural sinking solids contentis about 12 volume percent, based on the total volume of the juice.Sinking pulp can be referred to by different terms, such as sinkingsolids. Other terms used in this regard include insoluble solids, bottompulp and background pulp. Generally speaking, such sinking solids orsinking pulp are made up of insoluble materials and are generally notsensed on the tongue as discrete particles. Generally, the particlesizes of sinking solids are not greater than about 0.5 mm.

Also present in some orange juices is what is known in the industry asfloating pulp, which is the pulp that imparts mouth feel to orangejuice. Floating pulp does not settle in orange juice and is commonlyadded to commercial orange juice products to provide a “fresh-squeezed”appeal. Such floating pulp typically is distinguished from the sinkingpulp or sinking solids phase or component discussed herein.

In a typical orange juice extraction process, the orange fruit ismechanically squeezed or reamed. Rag and seeds are removed. This mixtureof pulp and juice often is clarified by a so-called finisher, whichseparates the pulp from the juice by means of a sieve mechanism. Thispulp stream then is recovered for floating pulp usage. The juice streamcoming out of the finisher apparatus contains the sinking pulp orsinking solids, which are too small to be captured by the finishersieve. This is a typical freshly extracted whole juice source.Pasteurization will normally be carried out within a few hours ofextraction and preferably no later than about a day thereafter.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, thefloating pulp is processed to provide a source of sinking pulp, bottompulp or sinking solids. Alternatively, when processing procedurespermit, the sinking pulp can be separated from the whole juice toprovide the source of sinking pulp. In those situations where floatingpulp is to be used in providing the sinking pulp, it is subjected tosize reduction treatment to transform it into a source of sinking pulp.When desired during processing, the floating pulp and/or sinking pulpcan be pasteurized and stored, or used immediately in making up thebeverage. When stored, preferably such will be under generally chilledconditions, such as at less than 5° C. (for example about 35° F.) untilneeded for use in making up beverages according to the invention.

When the sinking pulp component of the invention is prepared fromfloating pulp, the preferred mechanism for such preparation is tosubject the floating pulp to homogenization conditions. Thehomogenization or particle size reduction can proceed either before thefloating pulp is added to the beverage composition, or after same isadded to the entire beverage composition or a partially preparedcomposition. Because energy is required for this procedure, and becausesome of the components could exhibit better properties if not subject tosuch conditions, particle size reduction (when practiced) of floatingpulp sources into sinking pulp preferably is carried out on the floatingpulp alone.

Homogenization equipment is well known in the art, and such equipment issuitable for carrying out the homogenization procedure. Examples arehomogenization equipment from APV and equipment known under the Tetraname. Most homogenization equipment has a pressure setting. Suitablehomogenization of the floating pulp into sinking pulp can be carried outat pressures ranging, for example, between about 2000 psi and about 2800psi (between about 13.8 MPa and about 19.3 MPa). A preferred range isbetween about 2000 psi and about 2500 psi (between about 13.8 MPa andabout 17.2 MPa). An especially preferred pressure for typical APVequipment is about 2250 psi (about 15.5 MPa). One psi is equal to 6.9KPa.

However the sinking pulp is provided, it contains materials of value inachieving the objectives of the invention. The citrus juice stream whichprovides the ultimate source of the sinking pulp contains a complexmixture of volatile aroma compounds that vary as a result of numerousfactors. These factors include the particular cultivar from which thejuice originated, the maturity level of the harvested fruit, fruitprocessing conditions, and fruit and juice handling and storageconditions. Major classes of compounds which are involved in orangejuice flavor and aroma characteristics are alcohols, aldehydes, estersand hydrocarbons. These compounds exist in the peel and/or the juice ofthe whole orange fruit. Compounds from the peel, which often arereferred to as peel oil, typically are the hydrocarbons and aldehydeswhich are not water-soluble. For example, limonene is the majorconstituent of orange peel oil, typically accounting for greater than90% of its volume.

Compounds originating from the juice of the raw citrus fruit fall intotwo general categories. One is so-called essence oil, which containsmainly limonene. The other major type is essence aroma, and thiscontains water-soluble compounds.

The art generally has recognized that there is a relationship betweensinking pulp and aroma and flavor compounds. Hydrocarbons such aslimonene, alpha-pinene, sabinene, mycrene and valencene are found almostexclusively in the pulp. The juice serum typically holds almost all ofthe esters, alcohols and aldehydes. Laboratory work associated with thisinvention has shown that the various classes of the volatile aromacompounds of orange juice are specifically associated with the serumphase or with the pulp phase of the orange juice. According to thesefindings, alcohols and esters are found primarily in the serum phase,while aldehydes, ketones and hydrocarbons were determined to beassociated with the sinking solids or sinking pulp phase. Also presentare finely sized solids that assist in texture characteristics accordingto the invention.

The quantity of sinking pulp incorporated into beverages according tothe invention is the amount which adds enough of these types ofcompounds found in sinking pulp, as well as the texture-impartingcharacteristics. In a typical beverage according to the invention, thissinking pulp quantity of the pulp compositions discussed herein isbetween about 3 weight percent and about 20 weight percent of sinkingpulp, based on the total weight of the beverage composition. Preferably,this is between about 5 weight percent and about 15 weight percent ofthe beverage composition, most preferably between about 7 and about 12weight percent, based on the total weight of the beverage composition.

Concerning the juice component of the beverages according to theinvention, it is a source of whole citrus juice. This juice componentcan be a not-from concentrate juice source. The Brix or soluble solids,primarily sugars, content of this citrus juice component can varysomewhat depending upon the source. Usually from-concentrate sources canbe selected to be at a desired Brix level. Not-from-concentrate citrujuice sources tend to have Brix variability which is not so easilycontrolled.

A typical not-from-concentrate whole orange juice component fromin-season fruit would have a Brix on the order of about 11.5° to about12°. A typical whole grapefruit juice component from in-season fruitwould have a Brix on the order of about 9.5° to about 10.5° Brix. Theseare typical Brix levels when the citrus juice component (of whatevertype) is to be diluted in accordance with the invention. In suchinstances when the citrus juice component has a given Brix level of atleast about 9° Brix, the amount of the citrus juice component is betweenabout 20 and about 80 weight percent, based on the total weight of thebeverage composition, preferably between about 40 and about 65 weightpercent, most preferably between about 45 and about 60 weight percent,based on the total weight of the beverage composition. An especiallypreferred range is between about 48 and about 56 weight percent of thecitrus juice component in the beverage composition.

With reference to the diluting aspect of the invention, when a citrusjuice component having a Brix level characteristic of whole juice fromin-season fruit, such as between about 11.5° and about 12° Brix forwhole orange juice, will have its soluble solids level reduced byincorporating a diluent into the beverage composition. The diluent is toadd no significant level of sugars to the beverage. It also should bedechlorinated (if needed) and free of microbial contamination. Foreconomic and ready availability reasons, water is the preferred diluent.When a water diluent is incorporated under the conditions noted herein,it is included at a level of between about 20 and about 55 weightpercent, preferably between about 30 and 40 weight percent, based on thetotal weight percent of the beverage composition. An especiallypreferred level is between about 34 and about 38 weight percent of thebeverage composition.

Whatever diluent is used, when combined with the whole citrus juicecomponent, the combined Brix level and sugar or caloric levels withinthe beverage composition is reduced by as much as about 70 percent fromthat of the whole citrus juice. The target lower Brix level is dependentupon the amount of caloric load reduction which is desired for aparticular beverage. This beverage Brix level typically is between about6° and about 9° Brix for orange juice, preferably between about 7° andabout 8° when the target caloric load reduction is at about one-thirdless than whole orange juice when the orange juice component is betweenabout 11° and about 12° Brix. For grapefruit juice the Brix level willbe between about 5° and about 8° Brix, preferably between about 6° andabout 7° Brix, for a juice beverage having a one-third reduction incaloric load when the grapefruit component is between about 10° andabout 11° Brix. It will be appreciated that these Brix levels of thebeverage composition also will be a function of the Brix and quantity ofthe citrus juice component added to the beverage and of the sinking pulpcomponent, as well as of the amount of diluent. By the same token,varying such factors allows for a close control of beverage Brix, inaccordance with the properties desired for the finished beverage.

When the target caloric load reduction is to be on the order of one halfor lower of whole orange juice the Brix can be as low as about 4° Brix.For grapefruit juices, the Brix levels each are lower, and Brix levelscan be as low as about 3° Brix when a high caloric reduction is desired.

In those instances where it is possible to have a source of citrus juicecomponent which has a relatively low Brix, then the amount of diluentcan be reduced or omitted entirely. In such instances where the citrusjuice composition component has a Brix level between about 3° Brix and9° Brix, the amount of the citrus juice component is between about 30and 90 weight percent, based on the total weight of the beveragecomposition. For example, if an adequate quantity of citrus juicecomponent having a Brix in the area of about 7° to about 8° Brix for anorange juice beverage having a one-third reduction in caloric load, therequirements for the beverage being produced could be met without havingto further adjust the Brix level in order to reduce sugar amounts andcaloric content.

A source of calcium can be included in the beverage composition toprovide at least about 5% of the Daily Value. This provides a level ofcalcium which can be beneficial to consumers, as is generally noted inthe art. As such, the calcium will provide a Daily Value, or part of theDaily Value for calcium in a standard diet in accordance with currentgovernmental regulations. An exemplary Daily Value range can be from 10%DV to 50% DV. A typical range is about 20% DV of calcium.

The calcium source itself can be of the type generally known in the art.Calcium malate, calcium carbonate, calcium citrate, calcium phosphate,calcium hydroxide and so-called calcium citrate malate are exemplary.Calcium sources can include incorporating food grade acids such ascitric acid, malic acid, phosphoric acid, and the like, which caninteract with the calcium source(s) in preparing calcium components.Amounts of compounds added to provide the calcium component typicallywill be not greater than about 2 weight percent, based on the totalweight of the beverage composition, depending upon the calcium source.Typically, these amounts will be between about 0.1 and about 0.7 weightpercent, preferably not more than about 0.5 weight percent.

The juice beverage composition will include soluble pectin. A primarysource of soluble pectin is the added sinking pulp, especially when itis homogenized from floating pulp. When included, the calcium and pectinare believed to interact within the beverage in forming calcium pectate,which is beneficial in creating the texture properties which arecharacteristic of the citrus juice beverage composition which emulateswhole, full-Brix citrus juice which is 100% juice, as opposed to a juicebeverage composition according to the invention. This provides a gellingtype of phenomenon which enhances texture and taste without adding aproportional caloric or sugar load to the beverage. Such a thickeningtype of action is achieved without having to add gums such ascarageenan, although added gums can be included if desired.

Because the Brix level provided primarily by the combination of thecitrus juice component, the diluent, and to a lesser extent the sinkingpulp or suspended solids, sweetener levels are lower than an typicalwhole juice. In order to achieve a taste profile mimicking whole juiceproducts, a sweetener usually is added. Of course, the sweetener cannotadd a substantial caloric load; otherwise, the low sugar and low caloriefeature will be sacrificed. Thus, so-called artificial or non-nutritivesweeteners are preferred. These include sucralose, aspartame, andnumerous compounds well known in the art. Because of its especiallyadvantageous absence of unpleasant aftertaste, sucralose is preferred.Other such low-calorie or no-calorie sweeteners as might exist or bedeveloped are preferred for the present invention because they avoidunpleasant aftertaste characteristics so prevalent in the artificialsweetener industry at present.

The amount of artificial sweetener will be less than one percent in thecase of many of these sweeteners. For example, liquid sucralosepercentages can be at a level of between about 0.01 to about 0.5 weightpercent, preferably not more than about 0.05 weight percent, and mostpreferably not more than about 0.03 weight percent, based on the totalweight of the beverage composition. Dry sucralose also can be used,which is about 4 times more concentrate than the liquid version. Thus,the dry version can be added at a level of between about 0.0025 andabout 0.125 percent if the beverage.

Sucralose is currently available under the name SPLENDA, a registeredtrademark, from McNeil Nutritionals. It is made from sucrose. It is4,1′,8′-trichlorogalactosucrose. Sucralose is characterized as having aunique combination of hydrophilic and lipophilic portions on itsmolecule. It has taste characteristics of sugar and has been shown tohave a taste which is not perceptibly different from that of sucrose.Its supplier specifies that sucralose has a “clean taste like sugar” and“has no unpleasant aftertaste.”

Besides calcium, other minerals can be added, including magnesium,potassium and so forth. Specific examples include magnesium phosphateand potassium citrate. Each can be added at a desired Daily Value level,which can be a DV less than that of added calcium. Exemplary levels ofthese other minerals can be on the order of 10% DV or less, eachtypically being not greater than 0.1 weight percent of the beveragecomposition.

Other ingredients include nutrient mixes, flavor add back or oil addback compositions. Included additions are ascorbic acid as a vitamin Csource and beta-carotene as a color enhancer. A typical nutrient mixwill include thiamin, niacin, B vitamin(s), riboflavin, and the like.Each can be added at levels for achieving the quantity of nutrient to bedelivered by the beverage, as generally known in the art.

Tocopherol can be added. Preferably this involved the addition of atocopherol other than an alpha-tocopherol as a flavor antioxidant. Thishelps to maintain superior flavor and sensory attributes of the citrusjuice of the beverage. The tocopherol additive or composition performsas a flavor preservative antioxidant. Preferably, the tocopherolcomposition includes at least one tocopherol other than alphatocopherol.Such tocopherols are oil soluble antioxidants. They have been found toenhance or maintain sensory attributes of the citrus juice of thesecompositions.

Preferably, the tocopherol composition is in liquid form and iscomprised of one or more tocopherol other than alpha-tocopherol. In afurther embodiment, the tocopherol composition is a mixed tocopherol oftwo or more tocopherols. In a still further embodiment, the mixedtocopherols include no more than approximately 20 weight percent ofalphatocopherols.

The tocopherol composition is incorporated into the citrus juicebeverage at a level of at least about 40 ppm tocopherol, and typicallynot more than about 1300 ppm. Preferably, the tocopherol composition isadded to the juice beverage at levels between about 50 ppm and about 500ppm, and most preferably between about 100 ppm and about 200 ppm.

The citrus juice beverage composition having such tocopherol sourcesexhibit better flavor maintenance for storage of the juice beverage overprior products and help to maintain sensory attributes such as the freshorange and raw orange flavor in the stored juice beverage. The citrusjuice beverage composition having the tocopherol component provide acitrus juice having a better initial flavor than juice with othernatural antioxidants added thereto.

The tocopherol additive or composition is preferably made up of somecombination of beta, gamma and/or delta tocopherol isomers, with alesser amount of alpha-tocopherols (when present). The high content ofnon-alpha-tocopherols in the tocopherol composition provides a stronganti-oxidant effect. Preferably, the alpha-tocopherols, when present,comprise between 0 to 20 weight percent of tocopherol additive.Depending upon the goals of the citrus juice manufacturer, the amount ofany alpha-tocopherol can be varied. More specifically, if a higheramount of antioxidant activity is desired and Vitamin E enrichment isnot a concern, then less alpha-tocopherol is used in the tocopherolcomposition added to the juice. In contrast, if Vitamin E enrichment isa concern or goal, then a higher amount, approaching the 20 weightpercent limit, of alpha-tocopherols could be used in the tocopherolcomposition, as the alphatocopherols provide supplemental Vitamin Efortification. This level of alpha-tocopherol inclusion in the beveragecan be supplemental to any other Vitamin E addition to achieve theVitamin E RDV, for example.

Presently, when producing the tocopherol composition, an edible oilby-product remains in the composition. A maximum amount of 80 weightpercent of edible oil in the tocopherol composition is acceptable foraddition to the juice beverage. Examples of such edible oils includesoybean oil, corn oil, safflower oil and sunflower oil. Generally, mostso called domestic oils are acceptable for addition to the juice withinthe tocopherol additive composition. Preferably, no emulsifying agentsare included in the tocopherol additive. Oil content ranges from about20 to about 80 weight percent, preferably between about 25 and about 70weight percent. An especially preferred content is about 30 weightpercent.

An example of such a mixed tocopherol composition is Covi-ox® T-70 fromCognis Corporation of LaGrange, Ill. This mixed tocopherol compositionis made of approximately 14 weight percent d-alpha-tocopherol, 2 weightpercent d-beta tocopherol, 60 weight percent d-gamma-tocopherol and 24weight percent d-delta-tocopherol. The percentages are as a weightpercent of the total weight of tocopherols. The manufacturer guaranteesa minimum of 560 mg of non-alpha-tocopherols in 700 mg of totaltocopherols in each gram of Covi-ox® T-70 (i.e. at least approximately80 weight percent of non-alphatocopherols). This tocopherol additivecomposition also includes edible oil. Other sources and other blends ofmixed tocopherol compositions can also be used which have similarrelatively low, or lower alpha-tocopherol levels, or do not containalpha-tocopherols beyond possible trace amounts.

Preferably, the tocopherol antioxidant composition is added eitherdirectly to the juice beverage, or added after premixing with a citrusoil composition in an otherwise conventional oil add-back step.Preferably, between about 40 ppm and about 1300 ppm of tocopherol(s) areadded to the beverage. It has been found that the tocopherol compositionof the present invention stays suspended in the citrus juice or citrusjuice beverage without ringing. The tocopherol composition can be addedto the juice or oil by, for example, blending with a high shear mixer.

The use of an oil-soluble tocopherol composition was not expected tobenefit a water based product such as citrus or orange juice orbeverages containing same because tocopherols are oil soluble. It hadbeen expected that tocopherol added to juice would float to the surfaceof the juice and render the tocopherol ineffective against dissolvedoxygen in the product. However, this is not the case.

Regarding the process by which the beverage composition can be prepared,one approach is to combine all of the components and then homogenize themixture, typically at a level of between about 2300 and about 2800 psi.Pasteurization then follows, if not already pasteurized. If calcium isincluded, typically relatively high shear is needed, and if a gum isadded, it should be first hydrated with water using shear also.

In a preferred process, if floating pulp is to be homogenized intosinking pulp, between about 2 and about 5 weight percent, wet weight, offloating pulp is homogenized as noted herein. This then is combined withthe other components under low-shear mixing, such as through arecirculation loop unit, paddle mixer or the like. This combiningapproach does not further break down the sinking pulp. Pasteurizationthen proceeds, if not previously undertaken.

The amount of sinking pulp or bottom solids in the sinking pulpcomponent prior to addition to the beverage, and the amount of sinkingpulp in the finished beverage can be determined by known methods. Suchare set out, for example, in Citrus Science and Technology, pages508-510, Ed. Nagy, et al, 1977, which also contains information onfloating pulp as well as on suspended solids pulp, or sinking pulp. Thisreference is incorporated by reference hereinto.

In measuring the amount of sinking pulp, the material to be measured ispoured through a 20 mesh screen, with optional shaking. The temperatureis brought to 80 F. water bath. Two short conical 50 millilitercentrifuge tubes are filled with the sample, and centrifuging is carriedout. For a 11½ inch centrifuge, the speed is set at 1500 rpm andcontinues for 10 minutes. The quantity then is observed.

Using this type of measurement method, the sinking pulp content of thecitrus whole juice component is between about 8 weight percent and about18 weight percent. More typically, the amount is between about 11 andabout 12 weight percent, most typically at 11.4 weight percent or abovefor orange juice. The sinking pulp in the beverage composition cantypically be between about 12 and about 15 weight percent and as high asabout 17 weight percent, usually between about 13 and about 14 weightpercent, most preferably at about 13.5 weight percent.

Exemplary illustrations of the disclosure herein are provided in thefollowing Examples. These include testing illustrating various optionsfor embodying the principles discussed herein.

EXAMPLE 1

An orange juice beverage composition was prepared to mimic a typicalwhole orange juice. This orange juice beverage was formulated to have aBrix of 7.7° and a calcium addition which provides a 10% DV level. Thewhole juice component was not-from-concentrate (NFC) orange juice havinga Brix of 11.8° and an acidity of 0.56%. This was added at a level ofabout 53.5 weight percent. Also added was about 36 weight percent ofdechlorinated, clean water, along with 10 weight percent of wet floatingpulp at a density of about 450 grams per quart. Calcium was added at alevel of about 0.2 weight percent, and ascorbic acid was added at alevel of about 0.03 weight percent. Liquid sucralose was added at alevel of about 0.02 weight percent, and beta-carotene (1%) was added ata level of about 0.02 weight percent. All of these percentages are basedupon the total weight of the beverage formulation. Also included was atypical level of flavor and oil add back, as well as a nutrient packageto provide 5.2% DV potassium, 2.4% DV magnesium, along with thiamin,niacin, and vitamin B6.

This formulation was homogenized within an APV homogenizer, and thehomogenization was adequate to shear the calcium for adequateincorporation into the composition, while also transforming the floatingpulp into sinking pulp. The formulation was made under chilledconditions at about 35° F.

Evaluation of the finished beverage product indicated good taste and atexture which simulates that of the 100% whole orange juice component.The product, however, had about ⅓ fewer calories and ⅓ less sugar thanthe otherwise comparable 100% whole juice component.

EXAMPLE 2

Another orange juice beverage composition was prepared to have a reducedcaloric load while exhibiting taste, sensory properties, texture andmouth feel favorably comparable to that of 100% whole orange juice. Thisformulation contained about 9.7 weight percent of orange juiceconcentrate having a Brix of 65°. Dechlorinated water was added at alevel of about 80 weight percent, based upon the total weight of theformulation. Also included was about 10 weight percent of wet floatingpulp in juice liquid which had a density of about 450 grams per quart ora wet weight of between 2 and 5 percent. Calcium hydroxide was added ata level of about 0.08 weight percent, as was a malic acid and citricacid premix at a level of about 0.13 weight percent. The othercomponents were added as specified in Example 1.

The water addition level was such that the orange juice concentrate andwater made up a from-concentrate orange juice having a Brix of 11.8°.The finished orange juice beverage had a Brix of 7.7°. This formulasupplied 10% DV of calcium. It tested favorably, exhibiting propertiesas in Example 1.

EXAMPLE 3

Another orange juice beverage was prepared incorporating anot-from-concentrate orange juice having a Brix of 11.8°. This NFC wasadded at about 53.5 weight percent, and about 36 weight percent waterwas added, as well as about 100 of the wet floating pulp component. Thecalcium and food-grade acid components were added at levels noted inExample 2.

All of the other components were added as noted in Example 1. Afterhomogenization, the beverage had a Brix of 7.7° and a calcium level of10% DV. The NFC juice component had been analyzed to have a sinking pulpor bottom solids content of 11.4%. The final beverage had a sinkingsolids or bottom pulp content of 13.5 weight percent. The sensory,taste, mouth feel and texture characteristics of this finished productmimicked those of a good whole orange juice having a full caloric loadand a Brix of about 11.8°.

EXAMPLE 4

An orange juice beverage was prepared generally according to theformulation of Example 3. However, the wet floating pulp component washomogenized prior to incorporation into the rest of the formulation.Thus, the sinking pulp component was the pulp additive. In addition, thecalcium level was doubled, and the beverage had 20 DV of calcium. Also,dry sucralose was added, at a level of 0.005 weight percent. Theformulation then was blended into a final product by mixing through arecirculation loop using the equipment well known in the art. Theresulting product had characteristics consistent with those of Example 3while having 20 DV calcium.

EXAMPLE 5

A composition of mixed tocopherols in soybean oil is added to 2.6 gramsof orange oil (a commercially used oil addback composition containingnatural orange oil). The tocopherol component is added at tocopherollevels of 250 and 500 ppm (i.e. 400 and 700 ppm with edible oilincluded). The thus prepared tocopherol-containing oil add-backcompositions then are added to 52.3 pounds of orange juice beverage asprepared in accordance with Example 1. A high fresh flavor is retainedin the tocopherol treated beverage. Ringing is not observed. Thisbeverage composition provides better flavor maintenance than storedjuice with no antioxidant added to the juice and with no negatives suchas ringing or negative effects on flavor or specific sensory qualitiesdue to the tocopherol additive.

EXAMPLE 6

The tocopherol compositions which can be included in the presentbeverage compositions were tested for initial flavor in orange juiceagainst the taste of other natural antioxidants in orange juice. Inparticular, a tocopherol composition according to the present invention(namely Coviōx® T-70), ascorbic acid, rosemary extract (lipid solubleand water soluble) and peel paste (ground up orange peel), which are allnatural antioxidants, were added to juice and tested for initial flavor.The results are shown in the following Table.

TABLE Water Oil Soluble Soluble Tocopherol Rosemary Rosemary PeelAscorbic Control 500 ppm Extract Extract Paste Acid Total Orange 4.3 b5.0 a 4.6 b 4.5 b 4.5 b 4.3 b Raw Orange 0.5 b 1.3 a 0.5 b 0.6 b 0.6 b0.5 b Cooked 2.0 a 1.4 b 1.9 a 1.9 a 1.8 a 1.9 a Orange Orange Oil 1.1bc 1.3 ab 0.9 b 1.1 bc 1.2 abc 1.4 a Other 0.2 c 1.0 a 0.3 bc 0.6 b 0.4bc 0.9 a Citrus Sweet 5.4 b 5.7 a 5.7 a 5.4 b 5.4 b 5.3 b Sour 2.4 bc2.2 cd 2.2 cd 2.3 bcd 2.5 b 3.1 a

As shown in the Table, the tocopherol composition had a statisticallysignificant positive effect on total orange, raw orange, and cookedorange flavor notes. The tocopherol composition also increased othercitrus and sweet scores, while attaining a low sour score.

It will be understood that the embodiments of the present inventionwhich have been described are illustrative of some of the applicationsof the principles of the present invention. Numerous modifications maybe made by those skilled in the art without departing from the truespirit and scope of the invention.

1. A citrus juice beverage composition comprising: from about 20 toabout 80 weight percent of a citrus juice component, based upon thetotal weight of the juice beverage, said citrus juice component having agiven Brix level of at least about 9° Brix; from about 3 to about 20weight percent, based upon the total weight of the juice beverage, of asinking pulp component originating from a citrus juice; a diluent tolower the given Brix level to between about 3° and about 9° Brix; asweetener which does not add a significant caloric load to the beverage;and said beverage has a Brix level of between about 3° and about 9° Brixwhile having sensory and texture attributes comparable to those of saidcitrus juice component having its given Brix level.
 2. The citrus juicebeverage according to claim 1, wherein said sweetener is sucralose. 3.The citrus juice beverage according to claim 1, wherein said citrusjuice component is orange juice, said Brix level of the beverage isbetween about 7° and about 8° Brix, and the beverage has a sugar levelwhich is two thirds of that of the orange juice.
 4. The citrus juicebeverage according to claim 1, wherein said citrus juice component isorange juice, and said given Brix level of the citrus juice component isbetween about 11° and about 12° Brix.
 5. The citrus juice beverageaccording to claim 1, wherein said citrus juice component is grapefruitjuice, said Brix level of the beverage is between about 6° and about 7°Brix, and the beverage has a caloric load which is two thirds of that ofthe grapefruit juice.
 6. The citrus juice beverage according to claim 1,wherein said citrus juice component is grapefruit juice, and said givenBrix level of the citrus juice component is between about 10° and about11° Brix.
 7. The citrus juice beverage according to claim 1, whereinsaid sinking pulp component is prepared by homogenization of floatingcitrus pulp.
 8. The citrus juice beverage according to claim 1, whereinsaid citrus juice component has a sinking pulp content of between about8 and about 18 percent of the juice beverage, and wherein said beveragehas a sinking pulp content of between about 12 and about 17 percent ofthe juice beverage.
 9. The citrus juice beverage according to claim 1,further including a tocopherol component incorporated into the juicebeverage at a level of between about 40 ppm and about 1300 ppm.
 10. Thecitrus juice beverage according to claim 8, further including a calciumcomponent at a level of not greater than about 2 weight percent, basedon the total weight of the juice beverage.
 11. The citrus juice beverageaccording to claim 1, further including a calcium component added at anamount to provide at least about 5 DV of calcium in the beverage. 12.The citrus juice beverage according to claim 11, wherein said calciumcomponent interacts with pectin from the sinking pulp to provide calciumpectate in the beverage.
 13. The citrus juice beverage according toclaim 12, wherein pectin is released from said sinking pulp during aprevious homogenization thereof.
 14. A citrus juice beverage compositioncomprising: from about 30 to about 90 weight percent of a citrus juicecomposition, based upon the total weight of the juice beverage, saidcitrus juice composition having a Brix level between about 3° and about9° Brix; from about 3 to about 20 weight percent, based upon the totalweight of the juice beverage, of a sinking pulp component originatingfrom a citrus juice; a sweetener which does not add a significantcaloric load to the beverage; and said beverage has a Brix level ofbetween about 3° and about 9° while having sensory and textureattributes comparable to those of a whole citrus juice having a Brixlevel of at least about 9° Brix when grapefruit juice or at least about10° Brix when orange juice.
 15. A citrus juice beverage compositioncomprising: from about 20 to about 80 weight percent of a citrus juicecomponent, based upon the total weight of the juice beverage, saidcitrus juice component having a given Brix level of at least about 9°Brix; from about 3 to about 20 weight percent, based upon the totalweight of the juice beverage, of a sinking pulp component originatingfrom a citrus juice; a diluent to lower the given Brix level and tolower sugar or caloric levels of the citrus juice by as much as about a70% reduction; a sweetener which does not add a significant caloric loadto the beverage; and said beverage has a caloric or sugar level which isas much as about a 70% reduction from that of the citrus juice, whilehaving sensory and texture attributes comparable to those of said citrusjuice component having its given Brix level.
 16. The citrus juicecomposition according to claim 15, wherein said reduction is as much asabout a 50% reduction.
 17. The citrus juice composition according toclaim 15, wherein said reduction is as much as about a ⅓ reduction. 18.A process for preparing a citrus juice beverage composition comprising:combining from about 20 to about 80 weight percent of a citrus juicecomponent, based upon the total weight of the juice beverage, saidcitrus juice component having a given Brix level, from about 3 to about20 weight percent, based upon the total weight of the juice beverage, ofa sinking pulp component originating from a citrus juice, a diluent tolower the given Brix level, and a sweetener which does not add asignificant caloric load to the beverage; and homogenizing the resultingcombination, whereby a beverage is produced which has a Brix level ofbetween about 3° and about 9° Brix while having sensory and textureattributes comparable to those of said citrus juice component having itsgiven Brix level.
 19. A process for preparing a citrus juice beveragecomposition comprising: homogenizing from about 3 to about 20 weightpercent, based upon the total weight of the juice beverage, of afloating pulp into a sinking pulp component originating from a citrusjuice; combining said sinking pulp component with from about 20 to about80 weight percent of a citrus juice component, based upon the totalweight of the juice beverage, said citrus juice component having a givenBrix level, a diluent to lower the given Brix level, and a sweetenerwhich does not add a significant caloric load to the beverage; and saidbeverage thus produced has a Brix level of between about 3° and about 9°Brix while having sensory and texture attributes comparable to those ofsaid citrus juice component having its given Brix level.
 20. Thebeverage composition of claim 1, wherein the citrus juice componentcomprises citrus juice concentrate and water sufficient to form a wholejuice citrus juice component.